Cox Business Expands Online Backup Service

Cost-conscious businesses in Cox Communications service areas nationwide now have access to Cox Business' online backup service, which allows companies to access and view files from anywhere.

Cox Business, a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers and a division of communications company Cox Communications, announced its online backup service is now available in all Cox markets nationwide. The company's Online Backup solution automatically backs up business files to secure data centers that feature uninterrupted, year-round, onsite monitoring and security, fire detection and suppression systems, redundant power distribution units and seismic safeguards Cox said are designed to withstanda 7.5 magnitude earthquake. The service is aimed at SMBs (small and midsize businesses).

Online Backup automatically saves duplicate copies of files based on users' preferences of hourly, daily, monthly and/or manual intervals. The new feature also allows businesses to view and download their files from any location with PC and Internet access. The solution also includes 448-bit Blowfish local file encryption and copies are moved to the online backup servers using 128-bit SSL encryption, the industry standard for safe and secure data transfer. The product also includes functionality that allows administrators to manage multiple computers.

"Cox Business Online Backup is an added value to meet our customers' needs and is a compelling alternative to external hard drives and stacks of CDs cluttering the desktop," said Kristine Faulkner, vice president of product development and management for Cox Business. The service initially launched in Southern Virginia in December 2009 and was recently extended to Kansas and Arkansas, Las Vegas and San Diego as a ramp up to this week's full deployment. "Cox Business is taking another important step in combining business-class broadband speed and solutions."

Cox Business is also teaming with Mozy, an online backup service from EMC, a provider of infrastructure systems and manufacturer of Symmetrix, to offer business-class online backup capabilities at no additional charge to Cox Business Internet subscribers. Cox announced businesses would receive between 2GB and 10GB of online backup storage space, based on their speed of Internet service, and can purchase additional capacity if needed.

"According to IDC research, about two-thirds of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) either currently use or plan to use online backup services - and online storage is the No. 1 area where these businesses indicate they will increase investment over the next two years," said Matt Davis, director of consumer and SMB telecom services for research firm IDC. "Cox is offering this service as a value-added feature on its already competitive high-speed business Internet products, a combination we believe these companies will find extremely attractive."